Shirley MacLaine has done it all and even knows where to sit in the sun.

The bestselling author, Oscar winner and New Age spiritualist has a new book of wisdom to share with the universe as well as people who aspire to shine on the big and little screen.

"First of all, you need to know where to sit," MacLaine writes in her latest book "I'm All Over That."

"If it's daytime, you sit facing the outside light. Natural light is very nice for the skin — as long as it’s not direct sunlight. If you’re really smart, you place your partner just to the side of where the light is hitting you. You’ll know you are in the right daytime lighting position when you can’t see his face. He is completely backlit. You won’t know how he is reacting to your daytime dialogue, but you do know you look as good as possible when the sun is out," the 10-time Golden Globes winner writes.

MacLaine, who happens to be Warren Beaty's older sister, also has advice for celebrities and others who are accosted by the likes of news crews and paparazzi.

"If you are a person who is stopped on the street for a 'reality' interview, ask them what filter they have in the camera. Black full pro mist is the best, but everything else will look slightly blurred, which is what you want for your face. Otherwise, just keep walking," MacLaine advises.

"I have no solution for the paparazzi who jump out at you in highly inappropriate environments," MacLaine, who has sold more than 20 million books, admits. "Except perhaps murder. But then, even paparazzi can be reincarnated."

Bad lighting isn't the only thing MacLaine warns others to avoid. While on set during her first movie role, "The Trouble With Harry", director Alfred Hitchcock got her in the bad habit of eating fatty foods. A behavior even the film studio had to alert her about.

"I never realized that my weight was visibly changing on film — maybe ten pounds from one scene to another when the film was assembled," MacLaine, who ended up appearing in over 50 other films wrote.  "The president of Paramount called me and asked me what I thought I was doing. I said, 'Eating what I couldn’t afford before.' He said, 'Now you’ve got some money, you’re not going to starve. Quit or we’ll have to shoot retakes.' That hadn't occurred to me. Hitch obviously had a food problem. But with him, carrying extra weight was his image. I was a different story."

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— Tony Pierce
twitter.com/busblog

Image: The jacket cover of Shirley MacLaine's new book "I'm All Over That." Credit: Atria Books.

Elizabeth Taylor died Wednesday morning, but the writer of the obituary the New York Times published celebrating the film star died six years ago.

Mel Gussow, a New York Times theater critic and cultural reporter, wrote more than 4,000 items for the Gray Lady during his 35 years of service. Before he died of cancer in 2005 at age 71, he wrote Taylor's obituary.

Why not rewrite Taylor’s near 4,000-word obit? New York Times obituary editor Bill McDonald told the Wall Street Journal that Gussow’s work was “too good to throw away.”

The practice of having obituaries "in the can" in preparation for ailing or aged figures is nothing new. Many, however, first became aware of the media's practice of writing premortem obits in 2003 when CNN.com accidentally published several obituary "templates," including that of then-Vice President Dick Cheney.

Crafting an obit isn't just a something to prep for elderly celebrities. In 2008 the Associated Press admitted that it was putting together a farewell for troubled pop star Britney Spears, who was only 26 at the time.

"We are not wishing it," Jesse Washington, AP entertainment editor, said at the time, "but if something were to happen, we would have to be prepared."

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-- Tony Pierce
twitter.com/busblog

Photo: A 1958 shows Elizabeth Taylor and third husband U.S. film producer Mike Todd in a restaurant in Rome. Taylor died Wednesday of congestive heart failure at the age of 79 at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles. Credit: USA EPA/STR

Adam Sandler, star of such hits as "The Waterboy," "Happy Gilmore," and "The Wedding Singer," was honored with a star on Hollywood Boulevard on Tuesday as hundreds of fans and members of the press looked on.

In the shadows of the W Hotel and steps from the Hollywood & Vine Metro stop, Sandler was presented with this star by longtime friend and "Waterboy" co-star Henry Winkler.

Sandler's films, mostly comedies, have grossed more than $3 billion since the actor graduated from "Saturday Night Live," a program where he was introduced to the public alongside other breakthrough stars like Chris Rock and David Spade.

Sandler's star celebration comes ahead of his newest film, "Just Go With It", which comes out a week from Friday, where he stars opposite Jennifer Aniston and Nicole Kidman. Quite a step up from the days of "SNL," where he was relegated to singing silly songs during Weekend Update.

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— Tony Pierce
twitter.com/busblog

Photo: Adam Sandler waves to fans during a star ceremony on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Tuesday. Sandler was honored with a star on Hollywood Boulevard. Credit: EPA/Mike Nelson.

Ophiuchus meet Ozzy. Ozzy meet your new star sign, Ophiuchus.

Earlier we told you about a theory that astronomer Parke Kunkle has about the zodiac and how there are not 12 signs as commonly believed, but 13. The new sign being Ophiuchus, which covers birthdays between Nov. 29  to Dec. 17.

Needless to say people who once were Sagitariuses are quite upset to suddenly be something that they can't even pronounce. After the jump read what the Twitterverse is saying about this update to the star signs.  But first here are some famous Ophiuchuses:

C. S. Lewis, Vin Scully, Diane Ladd, Chuck Mangione, Garry Shandling, Howie Mandel, Don Cheadle, Mariano Rivera, Anna Faris, Shannon Brown, Jonathan Swift, Mark Twain, Sir Winston Churchill,

Dick Clark, Bill Walsh, David Mamet, Mandy Patinkin, Billy Idol, Clay Aiken, Walter Alston, Lou Rawls, Woody Allen, Richard Pryor, Bette Midler, Pablo Escobar, Sarah Silverman, Lucy Liu,

Treach, Stone Phillips, Nelly Furtado, Ozzy Osbourne, Benny Hinn, Fritz Lang, Walt Disney, Sonny Boy Williamson, Strom Thurmond, Little Richard, J.J. Cale, Jim Plunkett, Margaret Cho,

Morgan J. Freeman, Peter Buck, Steven Wright, Judd Apatow, Noam Chomsky,  Harry Chapin, Johnny Bench, Tom Waits,  Larry Bird, Terrell Owens , Mary Queen of Scots,  James Thurber

More celebrity Ophiuchuses and Twitter reaction after the jump...

Banksy's identity is safe for at least another day as EBay has shut down yet another auction created to reveal the elusive street artist's name.

An EBay user going by the handle "jaybuysthings" set the starting bid for $3,000 for the auction in which the winner would receive a piece of paper with the British artist's name. 

"I have uncovered his identity by matching up the prices of his sold pieces to corresponding tax records. I will reveal no more details," the seller wrote as part of the description of the auction.

Claiming EBay had shut down a similar previous auction because the site said "jaybuysthings" wasn't offering anything tangible, the most recent auction was for the paper on which Banksy's name was written. Thus it was an auction for something tangible, right?

Perhaps, but EBay took it down anyway.

Banksy is a hot commodity right now; earlier this week three of his pieces were sold at a more traditional auction house for close to $300,000. Meanwhile, the documentary he put together has a fair chance at an Oscar nomination.

Perhaps he will show up to accept the golden trophy if the film wins.

-- Tony Pierce
Twitter.com/busblog

The hallucinatory and beautifully filmed French movie "Enter the Void" made an interesting Top 10 list recently. Quentin Tarantino put together a short list of his favorite films of 2010 and the psychedelic, 2�-hour Kubrick-esque epic came in at No. 10.

But the Oscar-nominated director added a special note about the first minutes of the film in which the director displays the opening credits in rapid-fire motion (see video above). "Hands down best credit scene of the year�," Tarantino wrote. "Maybe best credit scene of the decade. One of the greatest in cinema history."

Over-the-top reactions are nothing new for the film or its director, Gaspar No. "Enter the Void" is the Argentina-born French filmmaker's third feature, and first that didn't come with a cautionary warning. But when even the first minutes of a film -- the credits, no less -- have one of the edgiest directors around heaping praise on it, it's obvious No has merely fine-tuned his game.

"The reactions have been passionate," No told the Times' Chris Lee in September. "People say, 'This is your best movie by far.' Or, 'This is the best movie about being on drugs.' I've even heard people say, 'This is the best movie I've seen in my life,' which is something nobody has said about my previous movies. But some people think it's too much. That it's too experimental. That there's no narrative. At the end, I got the very best reviews and the worst reviews of my life for the same movie."

"Enter the Void" returns to Los Angeles for one night at the Nuart Theatre in West Los Angeles on Jan. 21.

-- Tony Pierce

After much fanfare "Tron: Legacy" finally opened and won the weekend box office handily with more than $44 million in ticket sales, but with just a 49% rating on Rotten Tomatoes is it worth experiencing?

While "The Fighter" and "Black Swan" are doing well with the critics and fans (Rotten Tomatoes is giving both films 88% each), "Tron" even got a so-so review from the Times' Betsey Sharkey, who called it "just an average player."

Michael Phillips of the Chicago Tribune gave it just two stars. "It's a sullen affair, dominated by a grim visual palette that intrigues for about 30 minutes. Thereafter I found myself wishing I could switch over to [a] different, peppier 1982-derived artifact, something on the order of Atari Pole Position," he wrote in his review, "A sequel not worth waiting for."

The good news is 77% of the Rotten Tomato "audience" liked the Jeff Bridges 3-D Disney remake costarring Olivia Wilde.

"Tron:Legacy was really good IMO. Not getting great reviews, but neither did So I Married An Axe Murderer. Love that one too," tweeted Mike Baker, who describes himself not as a critic but a Carbon-based, bipedal, sapient being.

Another ancillary hook the film has: Daft Punk, the two masked deejays whose music pulses throughout the movie. The pair "killed" the "Tron: Legacy" soundtrack, which in this modern world is a compliment.

� Tony Pierce

Photo: Olivia Wilde as Quorra in "Tron: Legacy." Credit: Disney Enterprises.

If you ever wondered what Las Vegas was like back in the day, take a look at the video above. Filmed with an 8mm movie camera, the images captured show a simpler time — even for Las Vegas. A smaller Strip with no mega-casinos. A downtown —decorated with uncomplicated garland and bells for the holidays — with no megawatt canopy.

This was 1956. That year, Elvis Presley would perform in Las Vegas for the first time at age 21, at the International Hotel (now the Las Vegas Hilton).

This was before Howard Hughes and Steve Wynn. Before the idea of "mega" would overtake Vegas and extend what was possible. The mega-resort style hotel-casino became popular in the late 1980s -- when casinos became bigger, boasting more accommodations, and essentially promised to provide whatever a guest may need, be it fine dining, spa services, family entertainment, and so on. Name it, and you can probably find it on the Strip. Tigers, takeout, towel service. You get the idea.

However, as was reported by Times' correspondent Ashley Powers, mega-resorts may have seen their day.

As The Cosmopolitan mega-hotel opened this week, questions swirl about whether the place will draw visitors.

She writes: "The nearly 3,000-room resort will probably be the Strip's last new offering for years."

It remains to be seen whether the new resort will inspire travelers to spend on the lavish offerings within the funky palace.  The recent recession took an unprecedented toll on a town that is usually a statistical anomaly. The idea "if we build it, they will come" may not work this time.

What is more, though Las Vegas keeps itself in the news, it's not always for reasons that would inspire more revelers to want to extend their stay. On Tuesday — in an Ocean's Eleven-style heist — a gunman robbed the Bellagio of $1.5 million in chips. Is it a sign of visitors getting desperate? Or just another story of crime in a town partly founded by crime bosses?

Either way, unfortunately for the robber, casino chips must be redeemed within the casino to actually pay out cash. And in the end, it might just be a small sign that right now money is walking out of Vegas instead of going the other way.

— Lori Kozlowski
twitter.com/lorikozlowski

Recently, Todd Martens of the Pop and Hiss blog watched the latest Harry Potter film, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows -- Part 1."   Always one with a keen ear for music, Martens noticed a dance scene that included an obscure Nick Cave song, "O Children."

The touching dance was not included in the J.K. Rowling book, and since the fans of the books are extremely particular when the movie doesn't precisely match the novel of the same name, director David Yates and music supervisor Matt Biffa wanted to make sure that the music that Harry and Hermione Granger dance to was perfect.

Martens' piece is an interview with Biffa, who explains how he chose that song. It was posted late Tuesday afternoon and in just two days has been shared over 14,000 times on Facebook, so something struck a nerve with the Potter and Cave fans.

Some of the readers' comments can be seen after the jump.

Derrick Burts who goes by "Derek Chambers" in gay porn films and "Cameron Reid" in straight films revealed Wednesday that he is the X-rated actor who tested positive for HIV in October.

The Sherman Oaks clinic where he received the prognosis, Adult Industry Medical Healthcare Foundation, protected Burts' identity by simply calling him "Patient Zeta" when discussing his health.

AIM released a statement last month saying that Burts did not contract the virus through his work in adult film. "Patient Zeta acquired the virus through private, personal activity," it said, a claim that Burts told The Times Wednesday is untrue.

"There is no possible way," Burts, 24, explained. "The only person I had sex with in my personal life was my girlfriend."

He said in retrospect he wishes he had ignored the advice and pressure from the adult film industry. "It should be required that you wear a condom on the set," Burts concluded.

Many of the readers of the story aren't very forgiving.  See some of the more unsympathetic comments and Burts' video interview below.

MarioAVallecillo wrote: "Of course everything was great as long as it was getting the easy buck working as a prostitute, but now that he is infected he blames everyone but himself. He should at least take his fate like a man and accept that his actual condition is the result of his own choice and decision."

michaelg said: " 'Impossible.  The only person I had sex with in my personal life was my girlfriend...'  Huh??  What kind of creepy denial is this?  Who would have sex in gay porn and NOT expect to contract AIDS??  You reap what you sow, my friend."

Theodore W wrote: "Oh woe is me - they didn't protect me from me...it is all there fault.  After all there hasn't been all kinds of AIDS warnings and programs for DECADES well at least not in my mirror where I have been looking at myself forever!"

kmasitti wrote: "Really? He works in gay and straight porn industry and he said he wishes he had  known more about the risks of aids. Really??? Even kids with a public school edication know by 5th grade that having sex with multiple partners is a risk. What a crybaby moron. So he is one of those who need the government and their laws to protect him from himself. Stupid is as stupid does."

zaglossus wrote: "It's well known that porn afficionados find condoms a turn off on their actors.  The viewers will just gravitate to either illicit online porn or overseas porn from countries that have no such requirement."

 -- Tony Pierce